The Stone Hourglass
by Shepherd Virgo
Summary: After the suprising events with Jetsam, nothing is right. When a pet appears at the door, Azul and co. are blown through time into April 2000, a time of Cerpulls, Fleyes, and Flurbis. The 3rd in the 'Rod of Heart Nova' series. PG for swearing.
1. A Stranger

****

The Stone Hourglass

by Shepherd Virgo

This story is replacing 'Rod of the Heart Nova.' It will involve the same characters, and the same things will have happened in the first two books.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neopets.

****

Chapter 1 A Stranger

A few days after the shocking event with Jetsam, no one knew where Plesio and Aonca had gone. No one dared look for them, so everyone went back to their daily lives. Azuldragao, Verderato, and Jadretana became normal pets again, Faelinn became a simple plushie, Dr_Death went to the pound to work, Kalora played Cheat, and Captain Threelegs went back to the Academy. Quinto happily accepted Largato into the family along with Allegra, Elliot and Bleue for the time being until his owner came to find him.

Everything was back to normal, until one day, an odd visitor came to the door of the Sahkmet Mansion.

"Hello?" Azul looked out the door curiously.

"Hello," a masculine voice replied. "I am Comando. Segundo Comando. I am looking for a place to stay. Is this an inn?"

"No, this is Sakhmet Mansion," Azuldragao replied. "Segundo, mind if I call you the Seg-man?" Segundo nodded. "Seg-man, I'll ask my owner about letting you stay. You can come inside." He led the stranger through the house until they got to the X-Large Meerca Chase court beside the Mia's Makeover screen, where an image of a young Kyrii stood impatiently tapping her foot.

"Dad?" Azul called across the court. Quinto looked up from the controls, and paused the game. The robotic Meerca stopped dead. Quinto jogged around the court and answered Azul with a 'what' when he arrived at the other end of the court. Azul motioned to Segundo.

"Ah," Quinto sighed. "Hello." He looked to Azul, who gave him curt nod. Quinto started to leave the room and motioned for them to come. He stopped Azul at the edge of the court and continued to lead Seg-man around the house.  
  
BAM!  
  
"What was that?" Azul wondered aloud. He flew into the hallway and saw Segundo remove his cloak. Segundo was a shadow-colored Kacheek with a bloodred scar across his left arm. Quinto, however, lay writhing on the floor. His eyes open, Quinto stared at the Kacheek in horror.

"Revenge of a Minion," Segundo mumbled quietly to no one. Where had Azul heard the word 'minion' before? Then it hit him. Segundo was a servant to Sloth! He quickly changed into a battle form and hit the minion in the chest with a fireball. Seg let out a cry of fury as he turned and lunged at Azuldragao.

Meanwhile, Verderato and Largato, who had become nearly inseparable, also heard the large noise. "Minion!" Largato and Verderato exclaimed simultaneously. They ran down the stairs, seeing the battle that was happening between Azul and the mysterious minion.

Both minion and ancient sported a few wounds, each fighting with a weapon of it's kind: Azul using an apparantly upgraded Shoyru Sword and the minion using a Kacheek Dual Cannon that shot out both fire and ice.

Azul began to tire, Verderato saw. Azul had cowered back into and corner and then a bright flash appeared. The minion lay before them, dead. He wiped a tear from his eye, and went to pick up Quinto. He was unconscious.

They moved him into his room.

"We'd better get Kauvara," Verderato advised. Azul nodded in agreement. He changed into butterfly form and flew to Neopia Central.

******************

Azul walked into Kauvara's Potion shop.

"Lenny Morphing Potions on sale! 2000 NP!" Kauvara started yelling as Azul arrived. He smiled.

"You can cut that out, Kauvara," Azul commented heartily. She nodded. "We need Ancients." She nodded. Suddenly he heard the words 'All Ancients to Sakhmet Mansion!' boom through his head. He guessed that Kuavara had sent a telepathic message. "You have got to teach me to do that sometime."

*******************

"What was this about, Azul?" Dr_Death mumbled. "RoseMadder has been considering bringing Mrs. Whorley back from the dead."

"You poor thing," Kalora said sympathetically.

Azul explained what had happened to everyone. All of them were stunned.

"That was the second-in-command, I believe," Rash said "Jetsam's one-up on him, and so is Garoo, but that's about it. He's known for stealing artifacts from us. We'd better check the body." Everyone scrambled towards the body of the late Segundo Comando.

"What's this?" Bleue asked curiously. She pulled out a stone box.

"Let's see," Faelinn replied. She opened the box. Inside lay a single stone hourglass. "ust a Stone Hourglass. Quite the useless Battledome weapon." She tossed it into the air behind, but Rash caught it before it hit the ground.

"Look, Faelinn," Rash said. "Come." Everyone gathered around. "The sand is stuck to the top of the hourglass. Isn't that odd?"

"Let me see," Kauvara said impatiently. She was handed the Stone Hourglass. "Maybe if we turn it around, the sand will go up."

"Good idea," Allegra agreed. Kauvara turned it upside-down. Her theory was correct. The sand did go up.

"Oh great," Kauvara mumbled. She turned around. "Rule Number 1 of being an Ancient: Never fiddle with unknown magic artifacts."

"Well, it's a little late now," Kalora replied sassily. "At least nothing is happening." It was as if she jinxed them. The air started to shimmer around them. Everyone glared at her. "What are you talking about? It wasn't me!"

Those were the last words they heard before they were sucked into the vortex.


	2. Meet General Coltzan

****

The Stone Hourglass

by Shepherd Virgo

This story is replacing 'Rod of the Heart Nova.' It will involve the same characters, and the same things will have happened in the first two books.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neopets.

****

Chapter 2: Meet General Coltzan

The group of Neopets smashed towards the ground with a loud boom. Kalora looked around. What was missing?

"Something isn't right here," she mumbled quietly. Everyone looked around. Then, finally, someone noticed something.

"Where is Coltzan's Shrine?" asked Bleue timidly. Every pet turned in the direction Bleue was looking. The Coltzan's Shrine along the river was missing.

As Verderato's gaze fixed on Bleue, he noticed that she did not look right. She looked like a fuzz ball! He then looked at everyone else. They looked wrong too!

Both Kauvara and Kalora were women with an accessory (Kauvara's was a wand and Kalora's was a battledeck) and clothes with their Kau color on them. Jade was now a polygonal version of a Gelert. Her colors were the same and she had a special collar with her name on it. Dr_Death and Largato had both become a dragon-like creature with two horns and wings. It looked suspiciously like Eyries. And finally, he and Bleue both looked like puffballs with sneakers and gloves.

The Sahkmet Mansion wasn't there either. Many of the tents that could be seen in the distance were gone. What had happened to them?

"What has _happened_ to you guys?" Allegra asked curiously. "I haven't changed at all!" Azuldragao, Rash and Faelinn nodded in agreement. Everyone else shrugged. "Well, we'd better find out where we are pretty quickly if we want to find out what happened to us. Let's look for a house."

For over an our the group of confused Neopets tramped through the completely and utterly deserted desert of Sakhmet. Then, finally, they found something.

"My fellow Neopians," a booming voice began, though it sounded very faint from where they were. "Not a single of the dastardly _humans_," he said 'humans' as though it were vulgar, "will ever set foot on this land. No one shall ever find this colony of pets, and it will live on forever without any crossbreeding." Loud cheers echoed through the desert.

"COLTZAN! COLTZAN! COLTZAN!"

***********

"We've gone back in time," Faelinn said softly. Everyone stared at the source of the sound. It was amazing! How could they have gone back in time? Then they realized it.

"It must have had to with the sand sticking to the top of the hourglass," Kauvara explained. "A regular Stone Hourglass goes forward in time...that one must have gone backward in time."

"Man, I feel like a _woman_!" Kalora sang. Everyone laughed.

"I know why we look like this!" Jade said suddenly. "The Neopets along time ago were different than the ones of our time."

"So _that's_ what started the Kyrii/JubJub mess!" Dr_Death said, as if figuring out a mystery.

"Hello?" Coltzan's voice called. They all turned to the sounded. "Are you Neopets?"

"Yes!" Rash spoke. "Except for me," she added as an afterthought. "I'm a Faerie." Whispering sounds came from behind Coltzan.

"SILENCE!" Coltzan boomed. There was quiet. "Would you like to join our clan? We have escaped from the humans who torture us Neopets and come from far away, Neopia Central! Have you heard of it?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Maybe you should join our group."

"Let us discuss that for a second," Faelinn replied. The group huddled together.

"We shouldn't join them," Kauvara said at once. "We might change history!"

"But they have food and water," Azul disagreed. "We won't survive if we don't join them."

"He's right," Faelinn seconded. "We'll be dead in a day if we don't go with them. How will we save Plesio if we're dead?"

"Well...I guess you're right," Kauvara said finally. They faced Coltzan. "We will join you," Kauvara said.

"Thank you. Currently our numbers are less than 100. You will be good for us." They all went to the very back of Coltzans group of followers.

"There can't be more than 50," Dr_Death commented as he stepped in place beside a very small Aisha. Jade went to the Aisha's other side.

"Hello," the Aisha said cheerfully. "What's your name, Mr. Cerpull?"

"Huh?"

"Mr. Cerpull!"

"You must be a Cerpull in this body," Jade whispered to Dr_Death quietly. He nodded.

"I'm Dr_Death," the Cerpull said.

"I'm Osiri," the Aisha said happily. And you are, Mrs. Polypup?"

"Jadretana, Jade for short," Jade told her, noting that she was a Polypup.

"Oh, I've heard about you in a ton of stories!" Osiri exclaimed. "Are you...are you," she started to whisper, "an Ancient?" Jadretana stared at her, then Dr_Death, in amazement. Dr_Death nodded at her, as if saying to tell the truth.

"Yes," Jade said, "but don't tell anyone."

"That's cool!" Osiri said. "I'm going to introduce you to my Mama." She grabbed Jade's hand a pulled her in one direction. She was surprisingly strong for an Aisha. Jade waved goodbye to Dr_Death and followed Osiri to her mother.

"Hello, Osiri," her mother, a primitive Usul, said. "Who is this new friend of yours?"

"Her name is Jadretana, Jade for short," Osiri informed helpfully. Osiri's mother turned to Jade respectfully.

"You are very welcome in this household, Jadretana," Osiri's mother said. "I am Vyssa Coltzan, daughter of General Coltzan. My father will be very happy to meet you. Did you bring any friends to this desert?" Jade nodded. "Please find them and bring them back here. Osiri will be standing beside me." Jade skittered off to find everyone.

Where every Ancient arrived in Vyssa's hut General Coltzan had arrived, with his friend Mr. Wezzle.

"So, daughter, it is them for sure this time, right?"

"Yes, father, it's them. The starry one, Jadretana, brought all of her friends with her."

"Good," the future Lupe King replied. He turned to the Ancients. "The prophecies are exactly true," he said in amazement. "The future has come to the past." And then Coltzan, Osiri, Vyssa, Jade, Bleue, Largato, Rash, Faelinn, Kauvara, Azul, Verderato, Kalora and Dr_Death were no longer in the Lost Desert.

*********

Please r/r!


	3. Quinto's Dinosaur

****

The Stone Hourglass

by Shepherd Virgo

This story is replacing 'Rod of the Heart Nova.' It will involve the same characters, and the same things will have happened in the first two books.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neopets.

A/N: This was something that actually happened to me on Neopets.

****

Chapter 3: Quinto's Dinosaur

While Azul, Jade, and 'Rato and their friends were in the Lost Desert in Coltzan's time, Quinto was just leaving Kauvara's Magic Shop after finding that she wasn't there.

"Closed, my butt," Quinto muttered angrily. "More like that Kauvara woman is making out with someone in the storage room." He stomped around.

"Don't have a kau!" a passing Techo yelled to him. Quinto sighed, and walked to the bank.

"I'd like everything," he said. "I'm going to the Trading Post." The Skeith nodded and got every single Neopoint out of his account, which was 120,000 Neopoints. He frowned at how little he had and took a boat ride to the Sakhmet Mansion.

He did check the Trading Post after withdrawing everything. He looked at the newest 20 and at the bottom saw a sign that said the following:

slash3rx85: Green Tonu Morphing Potion.

slash3rx85's Wishlist: 160k NP.

Quinto was angry that he had spent that 40,000 on map pieces the other day. He offered his 120,000 and a Faerie Portrait and left.

Soon afterward he was paged and told that the lot had closed. He went back to see what was wrong.

Apparently no one had done well enough, so slash3rx85 had changed the wishlist. The new sign read:

slash3rx85: Green Tonu Morphing Potion.

slash3rx85's Wishlist: 150k NP. shepherdvirgo please re-offer, you're just a little under.

Quinto went very red. He then went to his Safety Deposit Box and took some items out, namely a few PetPets, a Gnomeshroom and a SweetTARTS Chest and offered again.

An hour later Quinto got another page and was informed that slash3rx85 had once again closed the lot. He shrieked in rage and went to his shop, which was the remains of an ancient Mote Temple, and grabbed the rarest item there, a Snowager Crystal, and went back to the Trading Post.

Once again there was a new sign for slash3rx85. His new sign said:

slash3rx85: Green Tonu Morphing Potion.

slash3rx85's Wishlist: 150k NP. shepherdvirgo _please_ re-offer!

Quinto tried one more time. These were his rarest possesions now, because what wasn't in the NeoHome or sentimental had been sold due to a stock company he had invested in going bankrupt. He decided to offer them, after a long time of pondering. But he had nothing else left. Nothing. This was it.

He waited until he saw someone else enter the trading post, which was about 3 minutes. It was a teenager of about 15 with short hair and three Tonus following him. Quinto looked at him curiously. Three Tonus? Maybe it was slash3rx85. He ran over and asked the teen's name.

"Kelvin," the teen said.

"Quinto," Quinto replied. "Well met."

"I'm currently trading a Tonu potion. Some guy named shepherdvirgo has been really close to the NP and items I want. Poor guy. I'm less than a week through Neopets and I'm already taking someone's prized possesions." Quinto gawked at him.

"I'm shepherdvirgo," he choked out.

"Really?" Kelvin, who Quinto knew now was slash3rx85, asked. "Well, did you bid better this time?" Quinto nodded. "Good. I think you might be lucky this time." Kelvin walked towards the counter, leaving Quinto in suspense.

After about a minute Kelvin nodded and asked for Quinto to come over. "Your offer has been accepted," Kelvin said very formally, and then put a very bored look on. Quinto couldn't help but laugh. He grabbed his new Green Tonu Morphing Potion and went to the 'Create a Pet' center. He quickly found a blue Kiko and named it Mudeforma, because he was becoming a Tonu. The second Mudeforma had left the center, the potion had been used.

Quinto saw another owner the same day getting a new green Ixi, which had just become non-limited edition. "Hello," the owner said. Her Ixi nodded in agreement. "Are you new too?"

"No way. I've been here for nearly 2 years," Quinto replied. "This is my Tonu, Mudeforma."

"Mud!" a tiny voice interrupted. I stared at Mudeforma. "I said, call me 'Mud'." I smiled and nodded.

"Well this is Cervinus. Say hi, Cervinus."

"Hello," Cervinus greeted cheerfully.

"By the way," said the owner. "I'm Nina. My username is 'Ixi_King'."

"Quinto. My username is 'shepherdvirgo'. Nice to meet you," I replied.

'Cervinus and Mudeforma became great friends. Mud, however, was never told that he had other siblings. Unfortunately, this greatly disadvantaged him, and Cervinus, in the fight against Sloth.

**********

Please r/r!


	4. A Day of United Siblings

****

The Stone Hourglass

by Shepherd Virgo

This story is replacing 'Rod of the Heart Nova.' It will involve the same characters, and the same things will have happened in the first two books.

Disclaimer: I don't own Neopets.

****

Chapter 4: A Day of United Siblings

Azuldragao, Verderato, and Jadretana and their friends had been gone from their time long enough to not know that Meridell had existed. So, naturally, when they came back from the other time, they were clueless about the excitement of everyone else.

"Coltzan gave us no information on Plesio whatsoever," Kalora frowned. "The only good thing is that were back in our own bodies." Jade and Dr_Death nodded in agreement.

"He did give us his and Osiri's heart novas though," Rash replied. "Couldn't get those these days."

"Yeah, yeah," Azul muttered. "But they'll help a _lot_ in finding Plesio and Aonca."

"Azul's right," Jade said. "What are two Heart Novae gonna matter if they don't _do _anything?"

Rash looked at them scornfully, and then replied, "Actually, we need one thousand Heart Nova to create the fabled 'Rod of the Heart Nova'. Only one thousand exist. If we hadn't gone back in time, we never would have gotten Coltzan's Heart Nova." Azul glared at her.

"Marrows! Marrow! A dozen for 1000 NP!" a man in a booth yelled, trying to get someone's attention.

"What the hell's a marrow?" Jade asked. She went over to the man. "What's a marrow?"

"The finest veggie in Meridell, ma'am," he replied, smiling proudly.

"_Meridell_?" she asked curiously. "What's _that_?"

"You don't know?" the man asked incredulously. "Oh well. It's the newest world from Neopets!" Jade rasied her eyebrows and left the booth.

"Marrows," she told the others, "are from the newest world, Meridell. That doesn't sound like the name of a Jelly World, though."

"I bet it's medieval," Elliot said. "Let's go check it out." And so they set out to this mysterious world, Meridell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Cervinus, we'll never get a hundered thousand kissing Mortogs," Mudeforma the Tonu said, annoyed. "That's disgusting!"

"But it's _fun_!" Cervinus pleaded. "You've never even tried it! C'mon, Mud, being a scary-lookin' dinosaur means it's your responsibility to do scary-lookin' things!" Mud sighed; they'd gone through this many times.

"Let's go visit Sinsi instead," Mud suggested. Cervinus nodded eagerly.

When they'd almost arrived, Cervinus asked Mud a question. "Do I look okay?" Mud smiled, Cervinus had a huge crush on Sinsi the Ixi.

"You look great. Now, hurry up, you slowpoke. Last one there's a rotten Negg!" And with that, Mudeforma galloped towards the treasure house, Cervinus trying to catch up behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before they could arrive, though, they bumped into a small group of people who were seeing the sights. "Ow!" Mud rubbed his horn. "Watch where you're going!

"Sorry," the Shoyru he bumped into apologized. He smiled. "I'm Azuldragao. These are my siblings, Verderato and Jadretana, and my friends, Elliot, Bleue, Allegra and Rash."

"Mudeforma, but call me Mud," the Tonu replied. "This is my friend, Cervinus."

"Sounds like a Quinto-name," Jade muttered to Allegra. They giggled.

"Nice meeting you, Mud and Cervinus," Azul smiled. "Who's your owner?"

"Quinto Pavartez," the Tonu said. Azul gawked. He couldn't believe it. Quinto had gotten another pet? Impossible! This would ruin the whole Ancient scheme. "Yours?"

"Quinto Pavartez," Azul choked out.

"No, seriously, who's your owner?" Mud said skeptically. "I have no siblings."

"I am perfectly serious," Azul replied softly. "And I can't believe Dad wouldn't tell you that you had siblings." Mud ground his teeth.

"Don't call him 'Dad' when he isn't yours," Mudeforma hissed. He lowered his head and-

"Stop it!" Jade exclaimed angrily. She placed herself in between her two brothers. "Is this how you want to treat each other?" Azuldragao and his youngest brother both glared at her. "Maybe Daddy-" Verderato snickered - "didn't tell him! So what? We're still a family!" Azul unclenched his fists reluctantly.

"You're right, Jade. You usually are," Azul said solemnly. Jade smiled in satisfaction.

"Very good. Now, Mud," she turned to her younger brother, "I'm sorry if there's been a misunderstanding. Can you go ask your dad whether you have any siblings? If you do, ask what there like. We'll be looking around." Mud nodded, told Cervinus he could still go see Sinsi, and went back to his home in the Lost Desert.

"Where to go now?" asked Bleue.

"Hmm," Jade thought. Then she saw a sign that sign 'Illusen's Glade'. "This way." She lead them through the forest along a dirt trail.

"Wanna go quicker?" Azul asked. Everyone nodded. "Okay. Switch form. 'Rato, grow more legs and gallop there. Jade, jump into that river and swim there. Allegra, transform into a huge bird and let everyone else board, then fly there." Everyone nodded and followed orders.

When everyone had gotten there, they saw a freckled young Earth Faerie sitting on a stump nearby a small house. Rash's jaw dropped.

"Illusen, is that you?" Rash asked gleefully. The Faerie turned towards her, and smiled; nodded. They ran up to each other and embraced. (A/N: Awwwww!)

"It's good to see you again, Rash," Illusen said solemnly.

"You too," Rash agreed. "Anything happening lately?"

"No, actually," Illusen replied. "Everything's been great."

"Sloth's been bothering us," Rash confided. Illusen raised one eyebrow, then frowned.

"I'll help if you need it. You're not the only faerie Ancient around, you know," Illusen commented. "Should we get Jhudora and Fyora?" Rash nodded. "Sinara too?" Another nod. "Okay, but it won't be pretty." Illusen started glowing brown and green, then became a bird and flew off.

After about an hour of waiting, Illusen arrived. "They refused to come. I quote, 'I'm too busy having people do stuff for me!' Honestly!" Allegra snickered. "Well, what's up?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please applaud my new 'review response' section!

****

KarmaLeafbarer: Sorry, but the story never was finished. I decided I didn't like the idea.

That may be all for today, but please r/r anyway!


	5. Two More Ancients

Sorry for the very (very very) long wait on the next chapter to the story. I suggest you reread the rest of my stories before you start this chapter (if you've read the stories already). And without further ado, here is

****

Chapter 5: Two More Ancients

"Ooh," Illusen winced as she heard the story. "That's bad."

"Uh-huh," Rash said. "We need your help, and any Heart Novas you may have." She gestured toward the glade. "You must have collected some."

Illusen nodded. "Thirteen, to be exact." She walked into a small room, grabbed a sack of Heart Novas, and brought them to Rash. Thirteen Neopian faces, among them Thyassa the Chia, Jhudora and Jeran the Lupe, stared back at Rash as she looked into each Heart Nova.

"Very good," Rash said. She then frowned. "Where is King Skarl's?"

"Haven't got his yet," Illusen replied. "Sorry."

"No matter," Rash sighed. "We'll get his when we leave Meridell."

"Check Bleue and Elliot," Kauvara suggested. Rash agreed, and instructed the two pets in how to grab Heart Novas. Indeed, there were two Heart Novas in their throats. Rash stuffed them in the bag after checking them.

"That brings the count to five hundred and eighty four," Dr_Death nodded.

"We're _barely half way_?" Azul wondered. "And we need to _defeat Sloth_? Impossible."

"Relax. We have the Master of Form Transferal, who are vital to the Ancients prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Verderato asked interestedly.

"The Prophecy of Slaed," Faelinn stepped in. "I'll explain.

"Long ago, Slaed the Cerpull appeared in Neopia with no notice. Slaed was the first Ancient. He selected Rash, Kauvara and I to become Ancients. He was sent to Neopia with a prophecy to fulfill.

__

"The Heart Rod will be wielded by the Ancient King so strong

and everything Neopians will need will be on its way along.

The Four Faeries will help the way to victory at last.

But only after lots and lots of grave events have passed.

The Form Transferal Master will be in the final battle with her sword

her greatness be so powerful that she can be a Lord.

The Ancient King's Relations will be great with godly might.

May they live in happiness and help him win the fight.

Taurus, Delphinus, Lacerta and Sagitta will guard King as they may

each one of them special in a very different way.

The Guardians of Magic are the key to success.

Their magic brings the King along; these Ancients are the best.

These Ancient will create an army most powerful of all

so that the King of Evil, The Monstrosity will fall."

"Wow," said Azul.

"We figure Kalora is Taurus and Kauvara and I are Guardians of Magic, and Allegra is the Master of Form Transferal, and the Faeries are obvious, but that's as far as we've gotten," Faelinn added at the end. "There are fifty Ancients, but only fourteen or so are mentioned. That means anyone could be any of those people."

"My job," said Rash, "was to find the Ancient King. As far as I know, he doesn't exist."

BOOM!

An Ixi's scared cry was recognized. Azul immediately changed form, prepared to fight. Illusen became a cougar-like creature, and barked to everyone else to stay back. Together, they ran and flew through the forest.

The red Ixi appeared to be very scared. Huge, flailing roots rose from the ground. Azul swooped down and picked the Ixi up. "Thanks," the Ixi said, pulled a Heart Nova from her throat, and ran away.

"Huh?" Azul exclaimed as he picked up the Heart Stone. It was authentic. "That was weird." Illusen, however, was staring at the vines. She became a faerie again quickly.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Lord Darigan." A small tear leaked down her cheek. "We're doomed."

"Who's this Darigan guy?" Azul wondered. He pulled out his Shoyru Sword in preparation. Illusen smiled weakly and shook her head.

"Darigan," she said simply, "is the most powerful Ancient ever. He is also the most powerful rogue Ancient ever."

"WHAT?!" Azul exclaimed.

"We thought Darigan was the one," she whispered. "We thought we was the King. But we were wrong. He was that one who brought me here."

"Ah..." Azul sighed. He flapped upward, and charged into the sky, preparing to look for Darigan.

"NO!" she exclaimed. "You don't get it! This Ancient is more powerful than Sloth! He'll kill you!"

Small Drackonacks were falling from the sky. Illusen wept unhappily. "Tell Jade, 'Rato and Allegra to come here. Bring the rest to the H.Q."

"What H.Q.?" Illusen asked curiously.

"There's gotta be _some_ storehouse for the Heart Novas!" he said. "I'm fetching my little brother." And he flew into the sky.

Mud and Cervinus, however, were extremely freaked out. They had reached Quinto and were attacking the Drackonacks falling from the sky. "What's happening?" Cervinus whispered.

"No idea," Mud replied. And with a red flare, he charged at the Drackonacks. A single charge had destroyed three full-sized Drackonacks. Cervinus gawked. Mudeforma looked upwards and saw fireballs being blasted at falling Drackonacks. Mud stood, watching.

The pet who fired these balls swooped down towards the ground, towards Mud. Mud screamed when the Shoyru (it was now apparent what time of pet it was) flew over his head and landed on the ground. His wings were weird and like butterfly wings. The wings became normal. Quinto stared at the Shoyru.

"Azuldragao," he whispered. "You're alive." The Shoyru nodded.

"You got one," he started muttering. "You got another one. YOU GOT ANOTHER PET!" he was yelling by the time he'd said that. "It's hard enough keeping our scheme together as it is! WHY DID YOU DO IT!"

"I-i thought you were _dead_," Quinto stuttered. He his eyes narrowed. "What _scheme_?"

"Oh hell," Azul muttered. He creased his eyebrows. "You have to promise not to say anything until I'm finished." Quinto nodded. "Okay." He paused. "I'm an Ancient." Quinto fainted.

"Cool!" said Mud.

"Listen, Mud," Azuldragao said. "You and your buddy here-"

"Cervinus."

"-Cervinus, whatever, are powerful pets." Mud and Cervinus looked pleased. "We need you. We need you to be Ancients. It's complicated to stay one without both of you doing it too. You'd hate us, Mud, for leaving you alone. Please accept my offer." Mud and Cervinus glanced in each other's eyes, and then nodded, smiling. "Thanks. Now, I need you to wish you were Ancients. This will make you ones."

"I wish we were Ancients," Mudeforma chanted. And Azuldragao granted their wish.

"Now, Mudeforma, your power rest in a magical charge. You now can destroy a target with a single horn charge. While doing this, your body will blur because you are moving very fast. Cervinus, your power is telekinetic. You can lift things of 500 pounds or under iinto the air with a glance. Your eyes will become completely gold, and so will your horns, hooves, nose and tail, while you do this.

"You may now float 1 foot above the ground." Mud and Cervinus attempted this, and were pleased to see themselves float in the air. "And best of all, you can grant wishes. And you can check to see if the wish will turn out good or not. For example, you can ask for a small toy, and you will find out what will happen; if you will like it, if you won't use it, etc. Now," he spread his butterfly wings, "Cervinus, hop on. Mudeforma, you can follow." And together, they went toward the spot they were to meet the others.

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Sorry I haven't posted in a very long time. Check out the prequels to this story. Please read and review!


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